The NFL has recently accelerated their effort to make Christmas Day their day on the television calendar, and it’ll reach new heights this season with the holiday falling on a Wednesday yet hosting two games. The league is also getting paid big-time while continuing to schedule action with the end-of-year holidays. According to John Ourand of Puck, Netflix is set to host the NFL’s 2024 Christmas Day games.
It looks like Netflix will wind up carrying the two NFL games scheduled for December 25, per a bevy of sources.https://t.co/Se6okT3qFe
— John Ourand (@Ourand_Puck) May 10, 2024
This is a massive move for Netflix. The negotiations, which are not final, explain the slight delay in the 2024 NFL schedule release (Wednesday, May 15).
In addition to getting paid a hefty sum for the two-game package, the NFL benefits from Netflix’s enormous global streaming audience (over 250 million paid subscribers). The deal will presumably help the NFL reach more people around the world while looking to grow the game internationally.
For fans, many have voiced displeasure at games being exclusive to a variety of streaming platforms. Amazon Prime Video has Thursday Night Football. NBC’s Peacock has hosted games, including an exclusive playoff game last season. And now it appears Netflix is also in the mix.
However, as a benefit, Netflix is extremely reliable as the biggest streamer, and they should be fully prepared for tens of millions of fans to watch the games. Additionally, fans will hopefully be served with a 4K UHD stream of the game on Netflix, which is one area the NFL and its broadcast partners have lagged. (FOX Sports has offered some 4K NFL games, but the number has decreased over the past few years and many viewers want a larger selection across the board.)